Boston Marathon profile: Dale Fingar

Thursday

Apr 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the weeks leading up to the Boston Marathon, the Milford Daily News will run profiles of local residents running this year's race. If you would like to be profiled, please email milforddailynews@wickedlocal.com.NAME: Dale FingarTOWN: MedwayAGE: 53 PROFESSION: Wellness Consultant/Personal Trainer/Fitness InstructorRUNNING FOR: Running in memory of my husband, Greg, who passed on Sept. 1, 2010FUNDRAISING SITE: Fundraising site: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/dale-fingar/DaleFingarsFundraisingPageWHY ARE YOU RUNNING? I've run Boston every year since 2005 with the exception of 2013, but the tragedies of last year made me so angry I knew I had to stand with everyone else to prove we are strong and unstoppable.Just a few months after my first marathon, my husband, Greg, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 49. How can this be? We had just built our family with two boys, Steven and Michael, then just 11 and 6 years old. I decided to keep running Boston and raise money for pancreatic cancer research.Greg had major surgery to remove his pancreas, gall bladder and spleen and we thought the battle was over. However, despite all the countless surgeries and so much pain and suffering, Greg lost his battle on Sept. 1, 2010, the first day of school for the boys. The hardest thing I've ever done in my life was to tell my children, who were so excited about their first day of school, that their father, their mentor, their strength, their Scout leader, was gone. Greg was tough, and he was strong, but the disease won.HOW DO YOU TRAIN? The winter weather has been tough training. This is my first Boston working full-time since starting a family and caring for my husband, so training has been very challenging. The long runs are tough but with my running friends, especially those from Tri-Valley Front Runners, I never run my long runs alone.I lost my father, family and friends to cancer and currently my Mom and many others are fighting. I feel helpless and wish I could find a cure for it all, but for now, I will do what I know best and run to help fight for the cause. And along the way, I will dance in the rain because, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."Dale's web page is http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/dale-fingar/DaleFingarsFundraisingPage to support my cause. You may also send your check, payable to "PanCan" (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network) to 26 Dogwood Lane, Medway MA 02053.